Hospitality might bring to mind luxury experiences, but you don't need them to be hospitable to your readers.
Marketing books can be complicated, and it’s easy to get stuck. You compare your marketing efforts to authors dancing on TikTok or Instagram, or to the Big 5 publishers spending piles of money on household names. You convince yourself that marketing means annoying everyone you ever loved. You focus on writing your masterpiece to the point that you forget to consider who it’s for.
While many authors are worried about scaring off their audiences by making too much of a splash, I encourage you to think of marketing actions as building a space to love your audience. We’ve already discussed how authors become spotlights, and this is a continuation of that idea. Think about marketing as hospitality—a way to connect with readers and invite them over coffee, cookies, and a chat about your book.
Fabienne Fredriksen says you need to lovingly surround your audience with your messages, solutions, and invitations.* Her advice is meant for CEOs of businesses, but I think authors can use the same idea. She advises being in real-world and online spaces where readers are, communicating with them in a variety of ways, and letting readers see that you are interested in them and your work. In other words, let your readers into the spotlight.
If you are still worried about scaring your audience, don’t be. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear..." (1 John 4:18 ESV). You put that love into your work.
Think about it! You are the first supporter of your book. You have put time and energy into bringing it into the world. Other people should know about it. In fact, if other people need your work, if you know it has potential to change lives, then the most loving thing you can do is tell them about it.
Loving your audience starts with people around you. Let your friends and family know that you’ve written a book. Celebrate your successes with them, like winning awards or appearing on a podcast.
Then, look beyond the people you know. Find fans of books like yours or topics that interest your readers. Have conversations with readers – genuine ones. We have sold When Sleeping Birds Fly to parents of animal-loving kids, Merrigold’s Very Best Home to faith leaders in children’s groups, and The Ninth Child to people affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Having conversations with readers should go both ways. Be curious about them. Make meaningful comments on their posts. Share the things they share. It’s the law of reciprocity – you can have a mutual relationship that blesses both of you.
Creating hospitable, loving places for your readers will let them recognize your book’s value. They will be more invested in reading something that they connect with, and they will be more likely to recommend the book to their friends. You will be able to comfortably talk about your book and reach audiences you never expected.
If you’re in doubt, consider what you'd want if the roles were reversed. You may not have much experience with marketing, but you do have experience with reading.
Are you looking for something more personal? We can create a customized one-on-one marketing program for your book, including social media posts and templates, websites, advertisement copywriting, and more. Reach out and book a discovery call today.
* Fabienne Fredrickson, The Leveraged Business, page 134.
p.s. In this week’s newsletter, we are sharing a template to help you talk about your message and your book. Click here to sign up and get the newsletter. If you missed it, respond to any newsletter we send and we'll send it to you.
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